Veteran pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar has made a much-anticipated return to India’s T20I setup after nearly four years, headlining the squads announced for the upcoming New Zealand tour.Bhuvneshwar’s recall comes after an impressive IPL 2026 campaign, where he claimed 28 wickets. His last T20I appearance for India also came against New Zealand in Napier on November 22, 2022.The 36-year-old now has the opportunity to make his international comeback against the same opposition.
Bhuvneshwar returns to India setup
Bhuvneshwar’s return is the biggest talking point from the selection announcement. His experience with the new ball adds another dimension to India’s pace attack, which also features Arshdeep Singh, Mayank Yadav and Prince Yadav.Shreyas Iyer will continue to lead the T20I side, with Tilak Varma as his deputy. Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan and teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi are also part of the squad.
Five-match T20I series
India will play five T20Is in New Zealand, beginning in Christchurch on October 22. The series will then move to Wellington, Auckland and Hamilton.
| Date | Match | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| October 22 | 1st T20I | Christchurch |
| October 24 | 2nd T20I | Christchurch |
| October 27 | 3rd T20I | Wellington |
| October 30 | 4th T20I | Auckland |
| November 1 | 5th T20I | Hamilton |
Jaiswal, Rahul and Pant headline India A squad
The India A squad features several established names, including Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant. Dhruv Jurel has been named captain, while Pant’s participation remains subject to fitness clearance.India A will play three multi-day matches against New Zealand A, beginning in Lincoln on October 24.
| Dates | Match | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| October 24-27 | 1st Multi-Day | Lincoln |
| October 31-November 3 | 2nd Multi-Day | Christchurch |
| November 7-10 | 3rd Multi-Day | Lincoln |
The BCCI said India’s squads for the upcoming ODI and Test series against New Zealand will be announced later.India T20I squad: Shreyas Iyer (C), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (WK), Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Ishan Kishan (WK), Tilak Varma (VC), Axar Patel, Shivam Dube, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Naman Dhir, Prince Yadav, Mayank Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep YadavIndia A squad: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Devdutt Padikkal, Ravichandran Smaran, Rishabh Pant (WK)*, Dhruv Jurel (C/WK), Washington Sundar, Auqib Nabi, Akash Deep, Anshul Kamboj, Manav Suthar, Mukesh Choudhary, Sai Sudarsan, Yash Rathod, Mukesh Kumar*Subject to fitness.
